ISRO on course to launch the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission this April

By
Jibu EliasFeb. 19, 2018, 12:13 p.m.

The entire mission is expected to cost around Rs 800 crores.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch its most ambitious space project till date, Chandrayaan-2 in early April this year. Currently, the mission is in one of its most important phases where the integration of the orbiter, the lander and the rover is about to be complete.

Initially, what was envisioned as an Indo-Russian collaboration has become a complete indigenous mission after Russia withdrew in 2015 due to its inability to provide the lander in time. The entire mission is expected to cost around Rs 800 crores.

“The next 45-60 days will be crucial as the composite pack, comprising Orbiter, Lander and Rover will go through a series of rigorous tests in disassembled and assembled mode. The outcome of these test results will determine the launch date,” ISRO chairman K Sivan told The New Indian Express.

The payload, which will include an orbiter, lander, and rover will be launched by GSLV Mk II rockets from Sriharikota and will carry 13 scientific instruments. While the orbiter performs remote sensing of the moon's surface, rover and lander will collect samples and analyse topography, mineralogy, and evidence for water presence.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission is crucial for India as it is India’s attempt to become the fourth nation in the world land an object on the moon's surface after Russia, USA and China. It will take two months for the payloads to reach the moon's orbit from the day of launch.

According to ISRO, the land site for Chandrayaan-2 is very close to the South Pole of the moon, which makes the mission even more challenging. From a mission point of view, in a month, the moon sees sunlight only for 14 days. Hence for the solar-powered rover and its instruments, it is very crucial to complete the mission within 14 days.

Even though various countries have accomplished successful moon missions including putting manned missions, landing on the moon's surface still remains a great challenge. Numerous mission such as Russian Luna 15, Luna 18, and Luna 23, as well as the US Surveyor 4, had all ended up in failure.

In 2008, ISRO did perform a controlled crash with its Moon Impact Probe (MIP), which was ejected from the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter.